English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VI

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

Then they're com'd on to the poor fool's house,                 25
      And they hae broken his wa's sae wide;
    They have loos'd out Dick o' the Cow's three ky,
      And tane three co'erlets aff his wife's bed.

    Then on the morn, whan the day was light,
      The shouts and cries rose loud and hie:                       30
    "O had thy tongue, my wife," he says,
      "And o' thy crying let me be!

    "O had thy tongue, my wife," he says,
      "And of thy crying let me be;
    And aye that where thou wants a cow,                            35
      In good sooth I'll bring thee three."

    Then Dickie's com'd on for's lord and master,
      And I wat a dreirie fool was he;
    "Now had thy tongue, my fool," he says,
      "For I may not stand to jest wi' thee."                       40

    "Shame speed a' your jesting, my lord!" quo' Dickie,
      "For nae sic jesting grees wi' me;
    Liddisdale's been i' my house last night,
      And they hae tane my three ky frae me.

    "But I may nae langer in Cumberland dwell,                      45
      To be your poor fool and your leal,
    Unless ye gi' me leave, my lord,
      T' gae t' Liddisdale and steal."

    "I gi' thee leave, my fool," he says;
      "Thou speakest against my honour and me,                      50
    Unless thou gi' me thy trowth and thy hand,
      Thou'lt steal frae nane but wha sta' frae thee."

    "There is my trowth, and my right hand!
      My head shall hang on Hairibee,[L54]
    I'll near cross Carlisle sands again,                           55
      If I steal frae a man but wha sta' frae me."

    Dickie's tane leave at lord and master,
      And I wat a merry fool was he;
    He's bought a bridle and a pair o' new spurs,
      And pack'd them up in his breek thigh.                        60

    Then Dickie's come on for Pudding-burn,[L61]
      E'en as fast as he might drie;
    Now Dickie's come on for Pudding-burn,
      Where there were thirty Armstrongs and three.

    "O what's this com'd o' me now?" quo' Dickie;                   65
      "What meikle wae's this happen'd o' me? quo' he;
    Where here is but ae innocent fool,
      And there is thirty Armstrongs and three!"

    Yet he's com'd up to the ha' amang them a',
      Sae weil he's became his curtesie!                            70
    "Weil may ye be, my good Laird's Jock!
      But the de'il bless a' your companie.

    "I'm come to 'plain o' your man, fair Johnie Armstrong,
      And syne o' his billie Willie," quo' he;
    "How they hae been i' my house the last night,                  75
      And they hae tane my three ky frae me."

    Quo' Johnie Armstrong, "We will him hang;"
      "Na then," quo' Willie, "we'll him slae;"
    But up and bespake anither young man,
      "We'll gie 'im his batts, and let him gae."                   80

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VI

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